Attack on Columbus Statue Is an Attack on a Proud Immigrant Heritage (commentary)

Staten Island Live ^ 

As with most episodes of misguided outrage and mass hysteria from the liberal left's culture war of political correctness, this latest campaign against Gaetano Russo's iconic Columbus statue reveals their blatant hypocrisy and disregard for the very immigrant story they claim to champion.


 A basic understanding of the actual history behind the Columbus Circle statue bears this out, for it would be inaccurate to assume, as left-wing PC warriors do, that the statue was intended simply as a homage to a single man. In fact, the truth reveals a much richer American success story that should be celebrated, instead of becoming the latest sacrifice on the altar of political correctness and revisionist history. At the turn of the 20th century, Italian immigrants were arriving on American shores by the hundreds of thousands, seeking a better life and a small piece of the American Dream.

My ancestors, including my grandfather Sebastiano Castorina who emigrated from Giardini, Sicily in 1914, and the ancestors of many of my constituents on Staten Island, were among them. Sadly, the reception they found was not always a welcome one. Italians seeking jobs were turned away at the door, Italian workmen were the victims of mob violence and mass lynchings in cities like New Orleans, newspapers ran editorials calling Italians "sneaky" "treacherous" "filthy" "descendants of bandits and assassins." The persecution would continue for decades, from the scapegoating of Sacco and Vanzetti in the 1920's to the internment of Italians during the Second World War.


 Despite these challenges and persecutions, Italian immigrants like my ancestors never lost faith in the promise of America and the exceptionalism of the society they fought so tirelessly to be a part of. Despite coming here with barely a cent to his name, Sebastiano Castorina opened his own grocery store in the East Village to support himself and his family. His success story is one of countless others. By their merits, their achievements, the sweat of their brows and the fruits of their labors, Italian-Americans proved that they deserved a seat at the table, and the gratitude of a nation they helped to build brick-by-brick, rivet-by-rivet; from the Empire State Building, to the Verrazano and Brooklyn Bridges, Grand Central Station, and the frescoes that beautify our Nation's Capitol, just to name a few.


 Undeterred and undaunted by the sleights and setbacks they suffered, and fiercely proud of their accomplishments in the face of such adversity, the Italian-Americans of New York donated the iconic sculpture to the City of New York in 1892 on the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery as a gift to their adoptive homeland. To represent their pride, they chose the first European to discover North America, Cristoforo Colombo, an Italian explorer from Genoa. Not a perfect man with a spotless legacy, but the man himself was less important than what he symbolized- that Italians from Columbus to Amerigo Vespucci - whose name would become the inspiration for the name of America itself - had paved the way for the founding of the greatest nation on earth. For the earliest Italian-Americans, the statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Circle was a token of appreciate to the Americans who had embraced them and a tribute to the Italians who sacrificed to earn their place in American society. And to those who doubted and rejected them? What better message than a towering 70-foot tall statue of a prominent Italian figure smack dab in the middle of one of the most heavily-trafficked intersections in the world?


 Now, bowing to a frenzy frothing at the fringes of their party, liberal leaders like our Mayor and City Council Speaker are entertaining the thought of removing the statue of Columbus as part of a so-called "task force to look at statues and monuments that may be against the values of New York City." And I wonder just what those values might be under Bill de Blasio and Melissa Mark-Viverito? It's ironic that the statue embodying Italian-American pride is offensive to the Speaker, but she has no qualms parading down 5th Avenue with the unapologetic terrorist and murderer Oscar Lopez Rivera.


 At the end of the day, we cannot bow to revisionist history and a reactionary backlash against the despicable demonstrations in Charlottesville by throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Now is the time for mature leadership, for cooler heads to prevail, and for us to acknowledge that no historical figure is without flaws, failings, and moral shortcomings. The essential thing to consider is what is at the core of our motivations for idolizing imperfect historical figures who nonetheless made profound contributions to our society. In Columbus' case, a true understanding of the history behind the statue reveals the proud and inspirational immigrant success story of the Italian people in America. Coming from a political party that claims to champion the immigrant cause, they should be the first ones to line up and defend Columbus' statue, especially after having no qualms about marching in the Columbus Day parade when campaign season comes around. To do otherwise would be a slap in the face to the innumerable Italian-Americans, and their descendants, who helped build this very city, and to the thousands of this country's new immigrants who are working hard every day for their own slice of the American Dream.


 Assemblyman Ron Castorina Jr. is a Republican in the New York State Assembly, representing the South Shore of Staten Island, New York

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I am of mostly German and Swiss German ancestry.   I appreciate all those who value their ethnic background and immigrant beginnings.   Strong immigrant neighborhoods reinforced family values, built vibrant faith communities, and prepared the next generations for dedicated public service.